Lumber-returning device for ripsaws



E. C. LOETSCHER LUMBER RETURNING DEVICE FOR RIP sAws March 6, 1928.

Filed May 28, l927 E.' c. LoE-rscHER LUMBER RETURNING DEVICE FOR RIP sAws v 2 -Sheletshet 2 Mmh 6, 1928.

Filed May 28, 1927 gli EMIL C. LOETSCHER, OF DUBUQUE,`IOWA.

1,661,767 OFFlcE-.`

LUMBER-RETURNING DEVICEY FOR RIPSAWS.

`Application led May 28,y 1927. Serial No. 194,916.

Thisv invention relates toimprovements in lumber returning 'devices designed for use in connection with `sawing operations wherein the same piece or pieces of lumber are reduced to smaller kpieces by repeated passages through a saw. A familiar example is the cutting or ripsawing of planks or boards into relatively narrow strips, as carried ony in a sawmill or a woodworking establishment.

In operations of this'V character as ordinarily carried out7 two operators are required, one standing in front to feed the mai terial through the saw and the other position on the delivery vside of thelsaw, and

`ard desi n, Vconsistin tioned at the rearto handle the rips or `cut portions and to return the board by hand This method is i to the feeding operator. not an efficient one since considerable time is lost between each outtingoperation in the handling of the board. The takeoff man must not only disposeof the rips but must pass the boardforwardly and the feeding operator must stand by to receive it and then feed it to the saw. c

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for automatically returning the boards from the rear to thefront of the saw after each cutting operatiomand to deliver the same within easy reach at the feeding end and in such a mannervthat no time is lost and the cutting can be carried on with greatly increased rapidity and consequently with a marked increase in product-ion without any greater effort or labor on the part of the operators.

Y As a preferred embodiment I have disclosed a typical installation used in connection with a band .saw operating to rip Y boards into narrow strips, although the same` device can be adapted for other types of saws and sawing operations.

`In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete lumber return installation,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the same installation,

'Figure 3 is an enlarged View in end eleva-` Figure 4 is a section taken'on line /1-4 of Figure 1, showing the construction of the return device at the feeding side of thesaw.

The saw is a vertical'. band saw of standf frame or ase, a saw ta le 2,- and an endless saw blade or `band 3, s-upported onwheels ror pulleys above and below the saw table only nnetf which is shown. The boards,

of a f supporting.

`are f ed from right to left along the saw table `and 1n contact with the vertical lead of the blade on the le'ftvof4 the table, when facing the saw from the front or feeding side.

The return device comprises in general a receiving table -5 on the take-off side of the saw, afdelivery table 6 ,on the feeding side, and ay conveyor extending along the side of thereceiving table 5 and `the saw, tothe rear end of the delivery `table 6. The'conveyor preferably consists of an endlessbelt 8, mounted onpulleys 9 and 10 atoppositel ends of the conveyor. As shown in Figure'Q the pulley Qcadjacent the receiving table is located just above the floor level and the pulley 10 atthe opposite end is elevated at a higher level but below the saw table,rso that the belt 8 is inclined upwardly from the take-olf toward the feeding K"side of the saw. The belt is driven by a motor 11 conveniently located under Athe delivery table ,e

6 and having driving connection with the Vshaft ofthe ypulley 10 by a beltyor cliainfll.

The conveyor belt and pulleys are partially `housed between two vertical walls 12',` 12,

which vform kthe sides -of an open trough of which thel top lead ofthebelt forms the bottom. The belt travels in a clockwise direction so that the 'movement of the top lead thereof isffrom left to right or from the table is preferably constructed of wood and Y,

is supported on legs 13, 13, and cross-braced i by transverse members. 14, at intervals throughout its length. i The topof thetable consistsy of a relatively narrow ledge or rail 15, in direct line `with the plan'efofthe cutting saw, the top of this ledge beinghori- Y. zontal and depressed slightly belowthe top ofthe sawtable. Extending laterallyfromv Y theoutside edge of the ledge 15is a down# wardlyinclined and curved section y16 of the v-table top, thesamefpresenting a surface .inclining rather gradually adjacent the ledge,

thencemakingan abrupt downward bend, and inally terminating in a -vertieali wall portion coinciding with or forming anV integral part of the innervertical Wall `12v of the conveyorhousing. l v A From the foregoingv description i of the f receiving table 5 it will be at once manifest. that a hoard having been fed through the saw, and a portion removed from its inner edge, will come to rest on the ledge, where a. slight lateral movement by the take-ott man will cause it to slide sidewise down the incline by gravity onto the travelling belt and thence be carried forwardly andfup# y wardly in a substai'itially vertically upright position; AIn the meantime the rip or cut vstripis vremoved by the take-ott man and disposed ol.l ln fact,"this delivery of rthe board to the conveyor may beI made entirely automatic by decreasing the width of the ledge to such an'extent vthat"immediately uponits leaving the saw'table it will at once start its sidewise sliding descent, without the intervention ot' the initial push given to it by the attendingoperator. Thus with the fwith the take-oliv man entirely.

addition of a suitablefdeviee for rremoving the ripsj it would be possible to dispose V In other words, it is handling of the rips that rei quires the manualattention at the delivery side offtliesai'v and not the necessity ot imparting an initialy movement to the boards' to be returned.

' Referring now to the delivery table of the" apparatus, so 'called because the boards are delivered thereto to be againt'ed to the saw,`

theysaine entends beyond the front of the saw table and'rin line with the conveyor. in y fact,` a portionof the table may lieconsidered as a continuation of the conveyorl Iii some respects the delivery table 6 'is similar 1n construction of they receivingtable 5, having a narrow ledge or shelf 17 in alignment 'with'the top lead of the conveyor belt and preferable inclined at the same angle, that is, it forms a'stationary prolongation of the lconveyor bell` of substantially the length of the boardsbeing handled. vThis narrow shelfortable islevel -in adransverse direction, and is supported on legs 1S which also :support a `vertical partition wall 19, extending along the outer edge of the table. l

As Clearly shown in lFigure 1 the conveyor proper terminates just-i beyond the `f veyor. this position of delivery they can Vfront edge of, and atene side of thefsaw table'Q, from which point'th'e fixed inclined sliellof thereceiving table continues.` Thus if the shelf 17,`with its outer returning or guiding wall l9eonstituted theentire table, th'eboards on beingcarried forwardly on the conveyorhelt would come to rest'on the table with their tail endsjust; olf the conbeL reached by the feeding operatort and carried forward ontothe'saw table `for the vnext cutting operation`. Although this is ga' satisfactory arrangement; it" is preferred "to elaborate the construction somewhat in" order-"t deliver theboards in such position' Vthat they can be picked up'by the operatorv Without turning around', 'and thus eliminate 'can pick them up,

\ governed by whichvis gauged by the length of the lumber the additional time `consuming movement and attendant physical ell'ort.

i At a distance rearwardly of the front edge of the saw table 2. and extending along "the inner side of the shelf or ledge 17.l is aA laterally anddownwardly inclined chute 20, its forward end being spaced some distance beyoi'idthe adjacent end ol' said ledge iii order to provide a space for the operator to stand. This chute is eoiisideraljily wider than-the ledge 17, and is so conslriu-ted as until at the rear endr the slope is quite abrupt with the inner edge of the chute justahove the floor level. Extending longitudinally oi the ledge 17, opposite the chute ift), is an oblique rail 21".` its forward end being flush with the outer `vertical wall 19, and its rear endtlush with the inner' edge the the ledge. As the boards are discharged onto the ledge 17 of the receiving table their forward ends strike the oblique rail i2] and are diverted laterally and lfall or slide down the relatively steep surface of the chute at its rear end, there being suflicient momentum of thcboard to carry Ait rearwardly as it slides laterally and downwardly. The rear end otthofboard, which now becomes the front end when `presented to the sawn finally comes' to rest along the inner edge of' `the` chute, tlieboard assuming au inclined posi-` tion with its end adjaiL-eiit the saw elevated. Just. opposte the forward end of the chute. Q0, and on the inner .side of the receiving table, is an upright standard 22 supporting a horizontal roller 23. inV line with the cutting side of the saw. This roller is supported at its outer end by :rvertical brace. 2l secured to the frame work ot the table, consisting of legs 25 and cross members QG, located atintervals throughiiul the length ,of the table.`

By this .arrangenientthe boards are de livered within reach of'tlie operator who i lift them onto the roller 23ia1idthen feed them 'forwardly to the saw for the next cut7 without turning around or niovingitroni his position. "Thefrapidity ofthe return operation is the'trav'el of the conveyor belt beng'handled and the distance it is to be carried. :It is desirable, however, that the speed shall be sufficient to impart suilicient momentum to each board so that it will be lofi carried beyond the operator at the feeding end and nally deposited behind him.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, I claim: c

l. In a lumber return device, the combination with a saw, of a receiving table located beyond the takeoff side of said saw and comprising a relatively narrow flat shelf in line with the path of the material there through, and a transverse downwardlyr inclined surface on one side of said shelf, a conveyor extending from said receiving table forwardly toward the feeding side of said saw and a delivery table extending beyond the delivery end of said conveyor.

2. In a lumber return, the combinat-ion with a. saw, of a receiving table located beyond the take-off end of said saw and comprising a' flatportion inline with the path of the material through said saw, and a transversely downwardly inclined portion, a conveyor extending from the lower edge of said inclined portion of the receiving saw and a transversely downwardly inclined surface extending from one side of said ledge and terminating in a vertical portion, a conveyor extending fi'om the lower edge of the vertical portion of said inclined surface of the receiving table forwardly beyond Vthe feeding side of said saw, and adelivery table located beyond the end ofk said conveyor and adapted to receive the material f discharged therefrom.

4. In a lumber return, the combination with a saw, a receiving table extending beyond the take-off side of said saw and in line with the path of the material therethrough, said receiving table comprising a laterally and downwardly curved surfacev terminating in a vertical edge, a conveyor discharged therefrom andy extending lengthwise of said receiving table below the lower edge of said inclined surface, said conveyor comprising an endless belt inclined upwardly and terminating beyond the feeding side ofl said saw, and a delivery table. extending beyond said conveyor and comprising a relatively narrow ledge in line with the active surface of said belt, and a laterally anddownwardly in-' clined surface sloping from the edge of said ledge adjacent said saw, and means foi` displacing thc material from said ledge onto said inclined surface.

5. In a lumber return, the combination with a saw, a receiving table extending beyond the take-off side of said saw and comprising a relatively narrow shelf in line with the path of the material therethrough and a transverse and downwardly inclined and curved surface terminating in a vertical edge, a conveyor extending lengthwise v of saidreceiving table and comprising an endless belt extending adjacent said receiving table and below the lower edge thereof Vand in an upwardly inclined direction beyond the feeding side of ysaid saw and a delivery table beyond said conveyor comprising a relatively narrow ledge in line with the active surface of said belt, a laterally and downwardly inclined surface slopy ing from the edge of said ledge adjacent said saw, and a rail extending lengthwise and obliquely of said ledge for displacing the material from said ledge onto the inclined surface of said delivery table.

6.y In a lumber return, the combination with a saw of a receivinP table be ond the" take-off side of said saw, a delivery table beyond the feeding side of said table, a conveyor'extending alongone side of said saw from said receiving table to said de# `livery table,`and adapted to receive the material to be returned from said receiving table, said delivery table comprising av warped surface inclined downwardlyand laterally from one edge in line with said conveyor, and also inclined downward from its front to rear end. V

Signed at Dubuque, Ia., this 23 day of May, 1927. v

fiiMiL c. LoETsciiER. 

